“’Jewish American Princess’ is an image of a young woman who is all about materialistic goods, who is only interested in financial benefits to herself, who doesn’t have genuine feelings, who is all superficial. She said when using the term “Jewish American Princess,” she didn’t realize it was a slur and likened it more to the term “airhead.”Īnna Shternshis, director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto, says the prejudices enveloped in terms like “Jewish American Princess” are deep-rooted. In her apology, Omondi said she painted Jewish people with “one big, broad stroke” and that she didn’t understand the nuances of the culture. The day after the podcast was uploaded, Omondi posted to her Instagram Story: “I want to recognize that I understand Leandra does not represent ALL Jewish people or the vast culture whatsoever.” She added that she would block people who posted hateful comments about Jewish people on her account.Īs criticisms surrounding her podcast remarks grew, Omondi edited and re-uploaded the episode without the antisemitic comments, and on July 20, she released an official apology via The Cutting Room Floor. “Her false claim about Jewish slave owners has been debunked, and her comments on nose jobs and Medine Cohen being a ‘Jewish American Princess’ echoed age-old stereotypes about Jews being materialistic.”Īvital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, a Jewish journalist, also Tweeted her reaction to the podcast on July 12, pointing out that there were “antisemitic dog whistles,” and saying that Omondi “shamelessly equates Jewishness with wealth, power & privilege.” She called out publications for not including this in their initial coverage of the episode. “The language Omondi used jumped out at me right away,” Sales tells FASHION. “At the end of the day you guys are going to get your nose jobs and your keratin treatments and change your last name from Ralph Lifshitz to Ralph Lauren and you will be fine.”īen Sales, a writer for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, wrote about his reaction to the podcast on July 12, saying he was surprised at how “her interview was bookended by antisemitism.” “I couldn’t stomach another white assimilated Jewish American Princess who is wildly privileged but thinks she’s oppressed,” she said. She started off the podcast by saying, “This country was founded by racist white men, and for the purpose of this episode it’s important to note that many of those white men, slaveowners, etc., were also Jewish and also saw Blacks as less than human.”Īt the episode’s end, Omondi used Jewish stereotypes to argue that Medine Cohen has not been oppressed. The episode’s conversation was broken up by Omondi’s personal narrative dialogue, where she made some comments about Medine Cohen as it relates to her being Jewish. Her statements circulated around the internet, and some media outlets responded with pieces like one that came from The Cut titled Upper East Sider Realizes She’s Privileged. This felt particularly tone deaf at a time when many people are actually facing homelessness, and her decision to suddenly shutter Man Repeller left some of her employees without a job in the middle of a global pandemic. The podcast episode focused on Medine Cohen’s privilege, with quotes of her saying that growing up, she thought she was on “the brink of being homeless” until she realized last summer that she had always been wealthy. “The Tanning of America” has garnered new levels of attention for The Cutting Room Floor - this time, because of its casual yet unmistakable antisemitism. The episode touched on Medine Cohen’s decision to end Man Repeller abruptly last year, the backlash she faced for pandemic layoffs (one of which was to a senior Black employee) and the alleged hostile work environment at the publication. The episode containing the Medina interview, “The Tanning of America,” was released on July 7. This is why it was surprising to some that Leandra Medine Cohen, founder of now-ceased fashion publication Man Repeller, chose Omondi’s podcast for her first interview about shutting down the site. The podcast is beloved by listeners but not widely known, with it averaging 10,000 listeners per episode, according to The Business of Fashion. From myths about recycling clothing to the necessary evolution of designers, each episode is packed with Omondi’s signature well-informed fashion commentary. Designer Recho Omondi launched the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor in 2018, and has since used the platform to tackle important topics in the industry.